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The Last Poets

The Godfathers of Spoken Word Rap Poetry
De Centrale & VIERNULVIER
  • Thu 20.03
    20:30 - 23:00
    De Centrale (Kraankindersstraat 2, 9000 Gent)
    Tickets

It is with great enthusiasm that De Centrale and VIERNULVIER welcome the legendary The Last Poets - Abiodun Oyewole, Felipe Luciano, Sharrif Simmons and Baba Don - to Ghent, and this on the evening before World Poetry Day and the International Day Against Racism.

On 19 May 1968, on the anniversary of Malcolm X's assassination in 1965, The Last Poets unleashed their verbal fire of protest. With a unique blend of poetry, jazz, political rap and early hip-hop, they established their name as pioneers of revolutionary art. They are still considered the ‘Godfathers of Spoken Word & Hip-Hop’ and are an enduring inspiration for artists worldwide. Even before rap existed as a music genre, these young artists gave a powerful voice to issues such as racism and poverty. Their influence can still be felt in the work of contemporary greats such as Nas, Common and Erykah Badu.

Although some of the original members no longer perform, Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan remain active. Through music and spoken word, they promote self-awareness in the African-American community. Their comeback in 2018 with the album ‘Understand What Black Is’ marked another milestone. With a combination of reggae and razor-sharp lyrics in songs like ‘Rain of Terror’ and ‘How Many Bullets’, they proved that their passion remains unchanged strong.

Since the 1970s, The Last Poets have made a lasting impression with their powerful, revolutionary poetry and socially conscious lyrics. Their message remains topical in a world still struggling with inequality and oppression.

After their successful comeback in 2018, The Last Poets released a new album in 2024: ‘Africanism’. The project was already taking shape in 2019, when now-defunct Nigerian drummer Tony Allen laid the rhythmic foundations. However, due to the corona pandemic, completion was delayed.

On ‘Africanism’, Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan give new life to classic poems such as ‘When The Revolution Comes’ and ‘Niggers Are Scared of Revolution’. They once again raise themes of inequality and racism, this time supported by renowned musicians from the Afrobeat and jazz scene, including members of Seun Kuti's Egypt 80 and British jazz icons like Courtney Pine. The result is a unique blend of live-played Afrobeat, jazz and revolutionary spoken word.